Bollywood hit PK's satire on Hinduism prompts protest in BJP-ruled India

Tourists in India may chance upon a bewildering spectacle: as hordes of film buffs gather outside cinemas to see Bollywood's latest blockbuster, angry mobs are screaming for the arrest of the movie's hero for allegedly defaming Hinduism.

Even as Hindu leaders call for a ban on Rajkumar Hirani's PK, the controversial film has been breaking box office records since its release on December 19.

Less than three weeks into its ongoing run, PK became the top-grossing film of all time in India, dethroning previous domestic box office champion Dhoom 3 (2013), another December release starring PK lead actor Aamir Khan. And while Dhoom 3 remains Bollywood's biggest box office earner worldwide - for now, with total box office takings estimated at around US$85 million - Khan's latest hit has become the first Indian film to pass the fabled 300 crore rupees (HK$373 million) mark at the local box office.

Khan plays PK, an alien who is marooned in the Rajasthan desert and stumbles upon the hypocrisy and deceit in organised religion. PK - who resembles Mad magazine's jug-eared mascot Alfred E. Neuman - then sets about exposing a Hindu "godman", a term for a charismatic guru who may claim to have paranormal powers.

PK has all the elements of a big-budget Bollywood film - song, dance, romance, melodrama, comedy, incredible plot twists. The rollicking satire also packs a message, typical of films by director Hirani, who first achieved international success with 3 Idiots (2009), also starring Khan.

Bollywood has successfully lampooned "godmen" before, most recently in Umesh Shukla's Oh My God! (2012). But PK hit the screens after the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power last year with a strong mandate for its leader, Narendra Modi.

As a result, newly empowered radical Hindu organisations affiliated to the BJP pounced on PK after its release. Nationwide protests have been organised outside cinemas, even vandalising a few and forcing some to cancel screenings. Complaints have also been filed with the police and in courts demanding a ban on the film and the arrest of its director and star.